It is almost unbelievable that Geelong has played 12 debutants since winning the 2011 flag yet still finds itself on top of the ladder as the only unbeaten team after seven rounds. The Cats wheeled out their latest first-gamer on Friday night against Essendon, and the recruiters from the other 17 clubs must have been shaking their heads as Jackson Thurlow casually amassed 13 possessions in the first half. Thurlow looked cool and calm amid what was a very hot game, and his skills were first-class. He seemed to cope well with the increased pace and bigger bodies that come with playing at the highest level, and the fact he played senior football for Launceston in the Tasmanian state league probably contributed to that. If Thurlow continues to improve at the rate he has already, he will be another example of why Cats' recruiting guru Stephen Wells is the best in the business. - Adam McNicol
2. Patrick Dangerfield could kick 50 goals this year
Tom Lynch's 10-goal haul against GWSrightfully stole the headlines, but Patrick Dangerfield was alsoincredibly damaging for the Crows. The All Australian midfielder spentlarge parts of the afternoon as a marking option in the forward line andhe responded with seven marks inside 50 – one more than Lynch. Hekicked four goals, and gave another one from in front off to Lynch,taking his tally for the season to 13 through seven games. The23-year-old also picked up 28 touches, six inside 50s and fiveclearances, but his marking and goalkicking is becoming a real featureof his game and could become more important due to Taylor Walker'sinjury-enforced absence. - James Dampney
3. Kurt Tippett can't come back soon enough
Erstwhile key forward Sam Reid had a 'mare' against the Hawks on Saturday night,finishing without a goal and spending patches of the game in thedefensive heart. Once Hawks fullback Brian Lake got hold of Reid, theSwans didn’t have enough avenues to goal. Mike Pyke took some nice grabsbut he was needed in the ruck for most of the match. Tippett is notback for another six weeks, but will cause match-up problems for anyside once he plays. The Swans just need to stay in touch with the topfour until his return. – Ashley Browne
4. You don't need top draft picks to succeed
So much is made of the quality of draft picks and their importance tobuilding a successful side but Fremantle is dispelling that theory -albeit not necessarily by choice. Fremantle had only two first-rounddraft picks play against Collingwood:Hayden Crozier and Luke McPharlin. The Magpies had no fewer than six.The Dockers have six more first-round picks on their list with five ofthem unavailable due to injury or illness. Ross Lyon touched on theissue after the game, saying "you can do a lot with work-rate andeffort". - Alex Malcolm
5. Shane Tuck is a seriously tough unit
With the Tigers leading by a considerable margin in the final term against Port Adelaide on Saturday, there was no need for Tuck to be on the field. Even with a heavily strapped left shoulder he couldn't lift his arm and it was painful to watch him running around, trying to tackle with his 'good' right arm. The game was won and yet he remained on the ground, doing what he could to help Richmond's cause; it was a seriously gutsy effort. - Harry Thring
6. West Coast's defence is in safe hands
John Worsfold obviously knows what the 24-year-old defender Eric Mackenzie can do, and the rest of the competition is slowly starting to learn. On Saturday against the Lions he was given the task of manning Jonathan Brown and barely gave the Lions skipper a sniff. While it's true Brown is not the force he once was, he's still capable of changing a game, but Mackenzie limited him to just six disposals and two second-half goals. Darren Glass deservedly gets a lot of the Eagles' defensive raps, but Mackenzie is just as capable of nullifying the opposition's key man. - Michael Whiting
7. The Bulldogs have more bite than expected
The Kangaroos were expected to win against the Bulldogs, but what wasn't expected was the fight shown by Brendan McCartney's men. They were right in it until three-quarter time, and the football they produced was of high quality in patches. They are a work in progress, but if the glimpses they showed against the Roos ring true, the future is exciting. - Jacqui Reed
8. The Saints may have a new tagger
Clint Jones has been St Kilda's run-with specialist since the club was a finals force between 2008 and 2010, but his role may have been handed to Jarryn Geary as the team rebuilds. Jones was dropped on Monday and replaced in the selected team by Jimmy Webster, with Scott Watters sending Geary to Blues star Marc Murphy. Geary didn't let the coach down, keeping the Carlton captain to 17 disposals and little influence in the Saints' narrow escape. Geary spent the entire night by Murphy's side but managed to win enough of his own footy.
- Nathan Schmook
9. The Suns keep making inroads on the road
The majority of headlines from Gold Coast's 60-point triumph over Melbourne will be about where the Demons can fall to next but the Suns' achievement of winning in Victoria for the first time cannot be ignored. Their victory came under adversity, with a restricted bench for largely the second half and one fit man on it at the end, and gave the club its third win – and second on the road – this season. They've now won nine games across six different venues, with the MCG joining Metricon Stadium, Manuka Oval, Cazaly's Stadium, AAMI Stadium and the Gabba as places they've sung their victory song. But, everyone knows the MCG is where you've got to put it all together when you get to play in September, which is why Sunday's milestone is so significant. - Jennifer Phelan
